Surface skimmer



United States Patent O 3,212,268 SURFACE SKIMMER Robert Ortega, LosAngeles, Calif., assignor to Anthony Pools Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation of Delaware Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,152 1 Claim.(Cl. 61-28) This invention relates generally to variable height weirsfor controlling the flow of liquid through a passage and so designed asto be especially well suited for skimming debris from the surface ofwater in a swimming pool.

Devices embodying this invention are :adaptable for permanentinstallation in the side wall of a swimming pool and include a weir ofbuoyant material slidably supported to extend across an outlet passagefor water from the pool and to rise and fall between predeterminedlimits as the level of the water in the pool may rise or fall. The waterat the surface of the pool flows over the top of the Weir carrying withit scum, dust, leaves, and other debris which is collected in a pocketof the device.

General objects of this invention are to provide devices of theabove-mentioned character which are simple and rugged in construction,easy to install, reliable in service, and economical to manufacture.

Further object and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing part of this specification wherein the details of constructionand mode of operation of a preferred embodiment are described withreference to the accompanying :drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section througha device of this inventioninstalled in a side wall of a swimming pool;

FIGURE 2 is a detailed view of the weir of the apparatus taken in thedirection of arrows 2 2 on FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a back elevation of the variable Weir of the device; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section on a larger scale through the weir takenon the plane indicated by line 4 4 on FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail and with the use of referencenumerals, there is shown a side wall 10, here of concrete, of a swimmingpool having a skimming apparatus of this invention mounted therein anddesignated, generally, by reference numeral 12. The apparatus 12 of theillustrated embodiment is designed to be installed as a unit in the sidewall 10, and it will be apparent from a reading of the followingdescription that the apparatus 12 when viewed in its broader aspectswith its chamber or pocket, passages :and openings may be defined by thematerial which forms the side wall and, accordingly, where the apparatus12 is sometimes referred to hereinafter and in the appended claims asbeing in or part of the side wall 10, it will be understood that thisinvention contemplates a construction in which the side wall itselfdelines the pocket, passages and openings of the apparatus. Thus, theside wall 10 is construed to include the apparatus 12 except wherehereinafter specifically indicated in cases where it is intended toconvey the concept of the apparatus 12 being a unit adapted to beinstalled in or against the side wall 10.

The Water in the swimming pool is designated by reference numeral 13 andits surface by numeral 14. As is conventional, there is a coping 15defining the edge of the pool and merging with a concrete slab portion16 to define a deck surface 17 around the pool. The side Wall 10 isillustrated as having a surface coating 18, and the ground in which thepool is installed is designated by numeral 19.

The apparatus 12 comprises a shell, designated generally by referencenumeral 22, herein shown as being rice formed of concrete. The shell hasa front wall 23 adapted to the disposed against the inside surface ofthe side wall 10, a back wall 24, two side walls 25 `and 26, and abottom wall 27 defining a chamber or pocket 28 within the shell. Thefront wall 23 has an opening 30 for inlet of water to the pocket.Apparatus 12 includes a flow channel 34 having bottom wall 31 and twochannel side walls 32 and 33 for flow of water from the pool throughoutlet opening 35 into pocket 28. The coping 15 spans the passage 34.

The shell 22 of the apparatus includes a cover 36 disposed in the deck17 and affording 'access to the pocket 28. In the illustrated embodimentthe cover 36 is supported along one side thereof by a pair of joists 37,3S suitably -supported at their ends as by channel side walls 32 and 33and the top edge of the back wall 24.

The weir of the apparatus 12 is desginated `generally by referencenumeral 42. It comprises a unitary frame 43, a multiple component oat 44supported by and slidable up and down in the -frame crosswise of oWchannel 34. The frame 43 is adapted to be attached on the inside of theapparatus shell and comprises two side members 46 and 47, a top member48 and a bottom crossm'ember 49, the top and bottom members 48 and 49serving to secure and hold the side members 46 and 47 in parallel spacedrelationship. The bottom cross-member 49 has a ange 50 with apertures orholes 51 for reception of bolts 52 for fastening the frame to the insidesurface of the front wall 23. At the top of the frame there are twolaterally extending ears 54 for securing the upper end of the frame tothe inside of the front wall 23.

rEhe float 44 is formed of buoyant material, for example, plastic, wood,etc., having a specific gravity less than one. In the illustratedembodiment the float consists of a plurality of cylindrical rods 59 ofcircular cross-section arranged loosely one upon another. The ends ofthe rods have annular grooves 61 seated loosely but captively in slots60. The upper ends of the slots 60 are designated by reference numeral63 and their lower ends by numeral 64.

The illustrated apparatus is designed to operate under normal conditionswith the surface 14 of the water in the pool varying in height betweenan upper reference limit indicated by line 66 in FIGURE l and =a lowerreference limit by line 67. The upper reference limit 66 is in ahorizontal plane which passes through the top edge 56 of the float whenthe float is in an upper operating position, adjacent the upper ends 63of the slots 60. The lower reference limit 67 is in a horizontal planewhich passes through the top edge 56 when the float is in a loweroperating position, adjacent the lower ends 64 of the slots 60.

The bottom wall 27 of the apparatus shell has an outlet 69 for flow ofwater from the pocket 28 through a pipe 70. Water is drawn through thepipe 70 for recirculation through a filter unit (not shown) back to thepool in a conventional manner.

When the recirculation system of the pool is shut down the water inpocket 28 will be at the same level as that in the pool. When therecirculation system of the pool is energized it will draw water frompocket 28 and lower the level below the pool level. Assuming that thesurface of the water in the pool is at the upper reference limit 66 whenrecirculation is initiated, withdrawal of water from the pocket willcause the surface 72 of water in the pocket to fall below the startinglevel 66. Such lowering of the pocket water level causes the float 44 toslide downwardly in slots 60 because of the decreased buoyancy providedby the lowered water level in pocket 28.

When the float 44 drops to a position in which the top edge 56 of theiloat is below the level of the water in the pool, `water will flow overthe top edge of the oat and empty into the pocket 28. Thus it is thatthe surface layer of the water in the pool is Withdrawn over the topedge of the oat whereby it carries along with it such .debris on thesurface of the pool water to empty into the pocket 28 where the debrismay be collected as in a wire basket 74 accessible by lifting the cover36. So long as the level of surface 72 of water in the pocket ismaintained below the level of water in the pool, the oat 44 willmaintain continuous ow of skimmed water into the pocket. When the iloatbottom against the lower ends 64 of slots 60 the oat will soon ceasebeing eective as a weir for skimming oi the surface of water from thepool until the pool water level rises for obvious reasons.

It will be noted that the lower reference limit 67 is spaced above thelevel of upper surface of the bottom wall 31 of the channel passage 34and it will be apparent that were the side members of the frame 43 madeto extend deeper into the pocket and the slots 60 made long enough thatfloat could drop below the level of the upper surface of the bottom wall31, then of course, it would be the level of surface 31 which wouldlimit water owing from the pool into the pocket. In the illustratedembodiment the surface 31 is spaced below the lower reference limit 67.g Y Y Should it be desired to keep the filter unit of the swimming pooloperating even though the level of the water in the pool is below thatfor ilowing into the pocket 28, there is an equalizer comprising a pipe76 extending through the side wall 10 and open at one end 77 thereof tothe inside of the pool and at its opposite end 78 to the inside of thepocket for ow of water from the pool directly into the pocket. Thepocket end opening 78 of the equalizer pipe is covered by a floatcontrolled valve 79 pivoted at 80 and having a float 81 on its upper endsuch that when there is sufficient water in the pocket 28 to extend to alevel above the valve oat 81, the oat 81 will be buoyed upwardly toswing the valve on its pivot and close the equalizer pipe against waterpassing therethrough from the pool into the pocket. When the level ofWater in the pool drops below the upper extent of movement of the valveoat 81, the ioat will cause the valve to swing on its pivot and uncoverthe pocket end opening 78 of the equalizer pipe to allow water to flowdirectly from the pool into the pocket and thereby maintain a supply ofwater in the pocket for being withdrawn through the outlet pipe 70.

While the particular surface skimmer herein shown and disclosed indetail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing theadvantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merelyillustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention andthat no limitations are intended to the details of construction ordesign hereinshown other than as dened in the appended claim.

I claim:

A surface skimmer adapted to be installed vertically in the overflowpassage of a swimming pool and cornprising, rigid mounting means adaptedto be secured along the opposite lateral sides of the overflow passage,a plurality of similar cylindrical rollers arranged parallel t0 and incontact with one another with their opposite ends held loosely captivein said rigid mounting means 'and free to move bodily and as a group toand fro vertically of said mounting means and crosswise of the overflowpassage, said cylindrical rollers being buoyant and suficient in numberto provide a buoyant Weir of greater height than the depth of the overowpassage for'which said surface skimmer is designed, and said *rigidmounting means being sufiiciently long and so disposed as to permit saidrollers to rise and fall as necessary to permit the uppermost one ofsaid rollers to provide skimming of the water on the upstream side ofsaid rollers when at its minimum contemplated level.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,410,746 3/22Gilgan 61-23 '1,797,042 3/31 Borland 61`28 2,579,304 12/51 Crawford210-169 X 2,979,206 4/ 61 Konopka et al. 210-169 3,067,879 12/62 Baker210-169 X 3,080,060 3/63 Blumenkranz et al. 21o-169 REUBEN FRIEDMAN,Primary Examiner. HERBERT L. MARTIN, Examiner.

